Line #41 Manga/VampirePrincessMiyu


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vampireprincessmiyu.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Miyu and Larva]]
3
4	->''"At one time, gods and demons were as one. They were sealed away in the distant abyss of memories. The hearts of the humans who feared the darkness brought this about. For the present, let's call these beings "Shinma". Now, they have awakened from their slumber, and gathered together. On the final night of that Gathering, when the Dark, the Shinma and the Humans meet, a young girl strayed into their midst. This is her story, and her name is..."''
5
6	''Vampire Princess Miyu'' (''Kyuuketsuki Miyu'') is a Japanese horror manga series by Narumi Kakinouchi and her husband Toshiki Hirano, as well as an anime adaptation by the same creators. The anime was originally presented in a 4-episode OVA (Original Video Animation) in 1988, and was later adapted into a 26 episode television series released in 1997. The furigana for the title indicate the pronunciation as "Vampire Miyu" or "Miyu the Vampire" - the "princess" part of the name comes from the third kanji.
7
8	The series as a whole narrate the adventures of Miyu, a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]] who's been appointed as the one in charge of hunting down the Shinma (god demons) who prey on humans and cross the barriers separating the Darkness from the human world. In her hunting missions she's usually assisted by Larva, a masked Shinma whom she once defeated and enslaved...
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10	The OVA has the distinction of being the very first anime to be fansubbed, way back in 1989 by the people that later formed Creator/AnimEigo. They later outright licensed the OVA in 1992, and released it to VHS, Laserdisc, and (eventually) DVD, with an English dub produced in 1996. Creator/TokyoPop first licensed and released the TV series to VHS and DVD beginning in 2001, and it was rescued and reissued by [[Creator/SentaiFilmworks Maiden Japan]] in 2012. The manga received an incomplete release in the US by Studio [=IronCat=], who disbanded before releasing the whole series.
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12	----
13	!!Tropes:
14	* ABNegative: In the first OVA, [[spoiler: both Aiko and her parents]] are implied to to have a "rare blood type". This turns out to be vital to the plot: [[spoiler: they're injured in an accident, there's no blood of their type in the hospital, and the fatally injured parents ask the treating doctor [[HeroicSacrifice to give their blood to Aiko]] so she will live. But [[DespairEventHorizon poor Aiko]] [[SurvivorsGuilt gets so broken]] [[ItsAllMyFault by the ordeal]] that she makes a DealWithTheDevil with a vampire-like Shinma, kickstarting the plot of said OVA...]]
15	* AllMythsAreTrue: Sort of. Shinma are described as both gods and demons, and are implied to have inspired myths throughout the world. The majority of the Shinma Miyu fights are in Japan, and as such have some connection to Japanese folklore. Western Shinma also appear, such as Larva and Lemures, also named after figures in Western folklore. Presumably, other countries have Shinma that correspond to that country's respective myths (assuming they aren't sealed away already... it's explicitly said that Miyu only goes after the ones that slipped through the cracks).
16	* AnIcePerson: Reiha has control over ice.
17	* AndIMustScream: Episode two of the TV series. [[spoiler: A MadArtist Shinma poses as a beautician and convinces innocent women that he can make them more beautiful... and they end up turned into mannequins]] Something similar happens in the second OVA: [[spoiler: If UncannyValleyGirl Ranka captures you, she'll transform you into a mannequin and keep you inside her warehourse, immobile and listless but still very much sentient.]]
18	* AndTheAdventureContinues: The TV series: [[spoiler: Miyu has defeated Chisato, a Shinma bred specifically to destroy the Guardian. However, with the deaths of Chisato, Yukari, and Hisae, Miyu now has nothing to keep her in the same place longer than she needs to be. The final line of the series is her telling Larva and Shiina that they have to keep going... there are more Shinma that need to be sealed away.]]
19	* AnimeHair: Most notably Miyu's ImprobableHairStyle. How can she do that with ''just'' a ribbon?
20	* AntiHero: Miyu fights the shinma not because she cares about humanity or is a hero for the human race, but because it's simply her job and her fate. [[spoiler: In fact, she often uses humans to trap the Shinma. Since she also hunts humans from time-to-time, you could make a case of her being a VillainProtagonist as well.]]
21	* AssholeVictim: Machiyama in episode 1 of the Anime. [[spoiler: He was an unrepentant jerkass who took his carefree life for granted and wanted to become a vampire for shallow reasons. Miyu naturally objected and called him out on his behavior, but his stubbornness and stupidity in attempting to force her to turn him anyway resulted in his death by falling off of his schools roof at the end of the episode. Miyu doesn't even feel sorry for him after he dies, mocking him about no longer having to worry about being bored with his life]].
22	%%* AsiaRuneChant: Used by Himiko Se.
23	* BatmanGambit: In the third OVA, [[spoiler: Miyu pretends [[BroughtDownToNormal to be helpless against a Shinma]] and even reveals a part of her true story to Himiko [[EnemyMine so she agrees to help her]] free a kidnapped Larva. Turns out Miyu was using Himiko to lure Lemures, the culprit, out of his hiding place so she can fight him and get Larva free.]]
24	** In the TV series, [[spoiler: the Bird Shinma's plan hinged on Miyu becoming close friends with Chisato. As the two grew closer, Chisato's true nature as a Shinma would remain hidden until the right moment. Since Miyu's powers are affected by her emotions, the Bird Shinma figured that Miyu would not want to hurt her best friend, compromising her ability to stop Chisato from fulfilling her mission to kill Miyu.]]
25	* BattleButler:
26	%%** Larva
27	%%** And Matsukaze, who is Reiha's in the manga.
28	%%** Aoi is Ranka's own battle butler in the manga.
29	%%** Yui has Nagi, too.
30	* BigBrotherInstinct: Kayo's brother in the TV series starts as this, then becomes a KnightTemplarBigBrother and tries to kill Miyu for getting close to his baby sister. To be fair, [[spoiler: the boy was under MoreThanMindControl coming from his dog, a Shinma in disguise. It all ends tragically when Reiha [[ShootTheDog freezes the boy to death]], and Miyu has to bite poor Kayo to keep her from falling in despair.]]
31	%%* BittersweetEnding: Many, if not most of the MonsterOfTheWeek episodes from the TV series tend to end this way.
32	%%* BloodKnight: Reiha and Matsukaze.
33	* BodyHorror: Aside of dying at the hands of the Shinma, humans can be either turned into Shinmas or be enslaved by them. The results are NOT pretty or pleasing.
34	%%* BodyguardCrush: Possibly, Larva towards Miyu.
35	* BreakTheCutie: A pre-requisite for a blood exchange with Miyu. Lampshaded in the second OAV when Himiko comments on how Miyu preys on the very handsome Kei and Miyu unabashedly admits that she likes pretty people.
36	%%* BrokenBird:
37	%%** Oh, ''Miyu''.
38	%%** And Yui Lee.
39	%%* BuryYourGays: ''Subverted'' in the TV series, surprisingly.
40	* CatchPhrase:
41	** In the TV series: "Shinma, return to the Darkness!"
42	** And to a smaller degree, "May you sleep well in eternal happiness..."
43	* ChekhovsGun: The good-luck charms that Miyu and Chisato get in the TV series. [[spoiler: These are some Shinma trinkets that prevent Miyu to sense Chisato's Shinma inner power. Chisato herself didn't know what they were for until she finally awoke to her Shinma blood, which happens after her brother Tokiya dies.]]
44	* ChekhovsGunman: The artist who sold the charms to the girls. [[spoiler: He's a ''very'' powerful Shinma in disguise, who ''knew'' what the trinkets were for and tricked the girls into buying them.]]
45	** In a couple of early episodes of the TV series, we see Chisato's home, and even hear her parents talk to her offscreen. [[spoiler: When Chisato is revealed to be a Shinma, we get a good look at her parents--they're Shinma, too, with the heads of birds. It's ambious, however, if they took these forms after Chisato became aware of her own nature, or if they always appeared this way around her and a WeirdnessCensor was in place.]]
46	* ChickMagnet: Kei Yuzuki is so handsome [[spoiler: that even Shinma women fall for him]]
47	%%* ChineseGirl: Yui Li from the TV series.
48	%%* ClearMyName: Miyu has to do this in the TV series, when a Shinma impersonates her.
49	* CoolMask:
50	%%** Larva, and Aoi from the manga.
51	** Lemures wore a spiffy half-mask in his true form.
52	%%* CreepyChild: Miyu, specially in the OVA. Also, little Aiko from the OVA.
53	%%* CreepyDoll: TV series!Matsukaze. Oh ''God'', Matsukaze.
54	* CynicismCatalyst: [[spoiler: Chisato's older brother, Tokiya. His death triggers Chisato's awakening and FaceHeelTurn.]]
55	* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: [[spoiler: Miyu's mother, the Guardian]] fears the day when her child will be old enough to [[spoiler: take her place]]. Specially considering that [[spoiler: the ones who'll demand such a thing are the Shinma... who are merciless {{Eldritch Abomination}}s.]]
56	* DarkMagicalGirl: Inverted: Miyu is the ''main'' character and she befriends others out of her own will, more than being lured out by them. Reiha from the TV series is a more traditional example.
57	%%* DeadManWriting: In the episode "Woman Priest".
58	%%* DeadpanSnarker: Himiko from the OVA's.
59	%%* DefeatMeansFriendship: Larva towards Miyu. Sorta.
60	* DissonantSerenity: OVA Miyu calmly smiles and speaks very softly as she ''burns Lemures to death'' as punishment for kidnapping and harming Larva.
61	%%* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Ranka, Reiha
62	%%* EldritchAbomination: Both Miyu and the Shinma.
63	* EmptyShell: If you let Miyu drink your blood, your mind is in a LotusEaterMachine and your body ends up like this. She almost exclusively does this to [[BreakTheCutie to people who have more or less good looks]] ''[[BreakTheCutie and]]'' [[BreakTheCutie have had terrible losses they'd rather block out of their minds]].
64	* EstablishingCharacterMoment:
65	** Miyu and Larva have ''two'' in the first OVA. One, when they quietly watch the crime scene in Kyoto from afar and walk away. Later, when they pull a BigDamnHeroes to save Himiko from the monster, but Miyu then asks Himiko to stay out of the whole deal.
66	** Himiko's inner monologue at the beginning of the same OVA counts too, and so does her WhatTheHellHero towards Miyu for [[spoiler: exchanging blood with Miyahito.]].
67	* EvilLaugh: Subverted: In the OVA's, while Miyu's laughter is more like a soft giggle, it's still creepy enough to send shivers down your spine.
68	* FaceHeelTurn [[spoiler: Chisato, in the TV series.]]
69	* FailureKnight: Miyahito, who couldn't save his girlfriend Ryouko from being slain in the first OVA.
70	* FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire: Miyu sorta tries to be this in the TV series. Emphasis on ''sorta''.
71	* GoodIsNotNice:
72	** Reiha is not evil, but ''God'' can she be a bitch.
73	** Similarly, Miyu's work is not to protect humanity but to keep Shinma out. Sure, sometimes she will help victims out and show empathy, but in the end her priority is not to give humans a hand.
74	* {{Guile Hero}}ine: OVA Miyu is not only a strong DarkMagicalGirl, but also extremely manipulative.
75	* HarmlessFreezing: Subverted with Reiha and her ice powers. They look harmless when in action, but they're NOT.
76	* HimeCut: Miyu's hair, albeit it's brown and always worn up.
77	* HumanoidAbomination: Miyu.
78	* IHaveYourWife: In the OVA's, Larva is kidnapped by his StalkerWithACrush Lemures to force Miyu fight him. [[spoiler: The other Shinma captured Miyu's parents and put them into a ConvenientComa to force her do their dirty work.]]
79	* IJustWantToBeSpecial: The otaku from the TV series, Akiko-chan from the OAV.
80	* IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight: [[spoiler: [[TearJerker Horribly subverted]]. A woman sacrificed herself to the Shinma to bring her husband BackFromTheDead, but he CameBackWrong as a servant of said Shinma and without any memories. Miyu noticed this and deduced that the now-Shinma wouldn't stop killing people and wreaking havoc unless he remembered his past, so while fighting him she showed him visions of his past and tried to make him remember. And he did... but since he was now a Shinma, he was shot to death by the police.]]
81	* IKnowYourTrueName: In the OVA, Miyu can't seal her enemy away without learning and writing its name with magic.
82	* ImprobableHairstyle: Miyu. See AnimeHair above.
83	* InflatingBodyGag: During a flashback, there's a performance troupe with one of the performers being a woman who appears to have an inflated belly. She's just there for a moment and is [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment never even acknowledged]].
84	* IronicHell [[spoiler: Himiko chased Miyu around because she wanted to hunt the vampire girl down. Turns out she was the person with whom Miyu first exchanged blood, when she was a little girl.]]
85	* JamesBondage: Larva gets hit pretty bad with the DistressBall in the third OVA.
86	* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Japanese Vampire]]: Quite the subversion, actually. See the main trope page.
87	* KabukiSounds: The second OVA and the flashback episodes of the TV series.
88	* KissOfTheVampire: Miyu's blood exchanges and the consequences.
89	* LadyOfWar - LadyOfBlackMagic:
90	** While not a swordswoman, Miyu sure is ''very'' graceful when she fights.
91	** So is Ranka, using puppets and RazorFloss.
92	* LesbianVampire:
93	** There are some homoerotic tensions between the girlish vampire Miyu and the shamaness Himeko who attempts to fight against her.
94	** In the newest ''Vampire Princess'' manga, which seems to be an AlternateUniverse set in UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan, a Miyu {{Expy}} named Yuu Kamui has quite the LesYay with another girl, a LonelyRichKid named Yui Shugakuin. [[http://www.mangapark.com/manga/Vampire-Princess/c1/10 As]] [[http://www.mangapark.com/manga/Vampire-Princess/c1/12 seen]] [[http://www.mangapark.com/manga/Vampire-Princess/c1/13 here.]]
95	** In the fourth OVA, [[spoiler: Miyu's first human "victim" was one of her middle-school classmates. She tearfully explains to Larva that she was simply [[StupidSexyFlanders thinking of how pretty she was]] while standing near her, then she completely blanked... and when she recovered her senses she had already lost control of her powers ''and'' forcibly drained the other girl of blood, [[AccidentalMurder killing her by accident]]...]]
96	* LivingShadow: The Shinma that appears in ''Sepia Colored Portrait''.
97	* LostAesop: The deal about lies and living in fantasy, in the OVA's.
98	* MadArtist: Roh-Sa from the second TV episode.
99	* MadLove: Ranka and Kei, so much
100	* MagicFeather: Cruelly played with in Miho's episode.
101	* ManipulativeBitch: Miyu, in the OVA. Also Lemures and several Shinma.
102	* MonsterMisogyny: In the first OVA, the four victims of the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Shinma of the week]] were female: two schoolgirls (including Miyahito's girlfriend Ryouko), a college student, an OfficeLady and a HouseWife. Himiko almost became the fifth victim but Miyu saved her, and later she deduced [[JustifiedTrope the reason behind it]]: [[spoiler: [[KidWithTheLeash the little girl "commanding" the Shinma]], Aiko, considered herself a vampire after her parents's death ''and'' believed that her life had sort-of "ended" when she made the DealWithTheDevil, therefore the Shinma believed he had to kill other women since they had or could have the lives that Aiko couldn't aspire to anymore]].
103	* {{Mouthscreen}}
104	* OffWithHisHead: Happens to some Shinma in the TV series [[spoiler: Including the {{Face Heel Turn}}ed Chisato]]. [[spoiler: Reiha]] combines this with LosingYourHead.
105	* OlderSidekick: Larva, who in the backstory is revealed to be already the Shinma equivalent of a young man when Miyu was still a young teenager.
106	* OneWingedAngel: Several of the Shinma. Subverted in the TV series: [[spoiler: when she's turned into a Shinma, Chisato's appearance remains the same.]]
107	* OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: Miyu poses around as one, specially in the TV series. She also has three Ordinary Schoolgirls as friends there. [[spoiler: Turns out one of them is anything ''but'' ordinary.]]
108	* PlayingWithFire: Miyu has control over flames.
109	* PluckyGirl: Himiko.
110	--> '''Himiko''': My happiness is not so trivial that it can be found only in a dream!
111	* PreserveYourGays: In a world where AnyoneCanDie and the best people can hope for is a BittersweetEnding where Miyu traps them in a LotusEaterMachine, the human lesbian couple in the TV anime's 19th episode survives to have an extremely rare happy ending.
112	* PunBasedTitle: The Japanese word for "vampire" is ''kyuuketsuki''[[note]]Even though the word in English is more commonly used in Japanese[[/note]]; however it is normally written 吸血鬼 (literally, "blood-sucking {{Oni}}") in kanji. In the title, it is rendered as 吸血姫, with the 姫 ("princess") kanji instead of 鬼 ("Oni"), without prejudice to reading (this also results in {{Woolseyism}} in the case of the international title).
113	* PuppetPermutation: [[spoiler:Ranka]] does this to her targets.
114	* RazorFloss: Used by Ranka in the 2nd OVA.
115	* RoleCalled: Look at the title.
116	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler:In both media, Miyu looks like a pre-teen girl not older than 13 but is actually an adult woman. Justified trope: the other Shinma specifically granted her [[NotAllowedToGrowUp eternal youth]] so she can take all the time in the world to catch the strays.]]
117	* SecretKeeper: Miyu's friend Akiko from the OVA and the otaku from the first TV episode.
118	* ShadowArchetype: Miyu and Reiha.
119	* SharedUniverse: ''Vampire Princess Miyu'' had two creators, who collaborated but had different visions of the character. One had more control over the anime, the other over the manga, and the OVA is a blend of the two.
120	* ShootTheDog: How Reiha views her killing of humans when they get in the way of her or Miyu's hunter goals. An example is [[spoiler: when she kills little Kayo's brother, who is under MoreThanMindControl: as the kid attacks Miyu, Reiha freezes him to death, and when Miyu is upset at that she lectures her.]]
121	* ShrinkingViolet: Miho Arisawa from the TV series.
122	* ShoutOut: The red scythe Larva wields in the anime series seems identical to the one used by the title character of ''Manga/MakaryuudoDemonHunter'', another obscure manga about a supernatural girl hunting demons.
123	* StepfordSmiler: Kei Yuzuki from the OVA. He's polite, handsome, popular, from a rich family, and seems to lead an almost perfect life save for being BookDumb... but is terribly bored of everything and feels that he will never live up to his more book smart siblings. He hides it under his SchoolIdol facade, until he gets involved in Ranka's plans and later in her feud with Miyu.
124	* SpinOff: One of Miyu's 'victims' goes on to have her own series, ''Vampire Yui'', which crosses over again during the ''New Vampire Princess Miyu'' manga. ''The Wanderer'', another series, spins off from Yui. All were partially translated by Studio Ironcat.
125	* StarCrossedLovers: Subverted in the OVA [[spoiler: with Kei and Ranka, who find a way to stay together.]]
126	* SugarAndIcePersonality: Miyu, though more in the TV series.
127	* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Garline from the TV series is an Expy of the OVA's Lemures.
128	* OurVampiresAreDifferent: That goes without saying.
129	* TeamPet: Shiina from the TV series.
130	* ThePromise: Larva promised Miyu [[spoiler: to kill her when she's tired of her destiny.]]
131	* [[ThoseTwoGuys These Two School Girls]]: Hisae and Yukari from the TV series.
132	* TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse: Absolutely averted in the OVA's. The first three happen in Kyoto (and the first one is actually named after the city), the last one takes place in Kamakura. Ironically, ''both'' cities used to be capitals of Japan before Tokyo ever was.
133	* TranquilFury: "I will not return you to the Darkness. ''You, I will burn to ashes!''"
134	* UncannyValleyGirl: Ranka from the OVA. [[spoiler: Chisato becomes one after her FaceHeelTurn]].
135	* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Carlua
136	* TheUnfavorite: In the TV series, Reiha hates Miyu because [[spoiler: her father called out to Miyu in his last words and not to her]].
137	* VictimOfTheWeek: The first half of the TV series and the two first OVA's.
138	* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: More like violently protective mistress, but you get the idea.
139	* WinterRoyalLady: Reiha, in the manga, out-ranks Miyu to the extent she has the right to kill her any time she feels like it.
140	* WouldHurtAChild: Many of the victims of the Shinma are either children or teenagers. [[spoiler: Same goes to many of the people whom Miyu exchanges blood with - almost always ''after'' they're subjected to this trope.]]
141	* YouCantFightFate: In the OVA's, [[spoiler: Miyu's mother tries to save her from being forced to become the Guardian. She fails.]]
142	* YamatoNadeshiko:
143	** Ranka, in the manga. She can pull off the look very well in the OVA's; in fact, she and [[spoiler: Kei]] met for the first time when she was walking around clad in a white kimono.
144	** Also, Miyu's mother in the OVA.
145	* {{Yandere}}: [[spoiler: Chisato, after her awakening as a Shinma]]. Arguably, Lemures was a male example... towards [[HoYay Larva]]
146	* YourVampiresSuck: People keep trying traditional weaknesses on her, such as garlic, holy water, and others, and they never end up working. "Holy water. How nice." "I love garlic!" Of course, [[OurVampiresAreDifferent she is different]].

Context Manga / VampirePrincessMiyu